First-time candidate Stephenson joins CMS board race

Jeremy Stephenson, a southeast Charlotte lawyer making his first bid for public office, became the fifth person to file for an at-large seat on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board Tuesday.

Stephenson is the first Republican to enter the race (read about the four who filed Monday here), and his list of endorsements includes two state representatives, a Charlotte city council member and two Mecklenburg County commissioners – all Republican. He’s also supported by at-large school board member Tim Morgan, who’s says he’s not running, and district members Rhonda Lennon, Eric Davis and Paul Bailey. Davis is unaffiliated while the other three are GOP.

I got to know Stephenson in 2012, when he was pushing for his Crown Colony neighborhood to be rezoned from East Meck to Providence High. He’s entering the race as a much broader look at student assignment is in the works.

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As I noted yesterday, I’m not trying to give the definitive look at candidates as they file to run in the Nov. 3 election, where the top three will get seats on the nine-member board. I’m open to ideas on the best ways to help voters figure out what they need to know about what could be a long list of candidates.